Have you heard of the washing machine thief? You know, where you could swear you put in a pair of socks but only one comes out. Well, a similar problem exists with missing burs. As Murphy’s Law would have it, it’s usually the exact bur needed at the time that inexplicably goes missing: ‘I’m sure it was there in the kit… where’s it gone?’ The result is wasted time, frustration and financial loss; they may be small but they’re dear.
Their small size means burs can get lost easily in everyday practice, including by falling on the floor or getting swept up in tissues and gauzes. However, their fate if often inevitable once they reach the decontamination area. There they get cleaned, sterilised and put back into kits. Unfortunately, burs sometimes don’t grip the shanks or stay in the holder during decon, so they get lost. If no bur management system is in place, it makes it harder to keep track of burs and replace them correctly in the kits.
Managing your burs during decontamination
Bur management systems can reduce the loss of burs during contamination. These can be as simple as using different sized holders, colour-coded holders and labelling holders with a CD marker or Sharpie pen.
Decontamination of all dental instruments is a top priority and burs are an essential part of every dentist’s toolkit, so it’s vital to select the most effective method or system for your practice. Using holders that securely ‘grip’ any type of bur, even during cleaning and autoclaving, or if it is tipped over or dropped, is the ideal.
Traditionally, sterilisable bur holders have been made of metal with metal lids, but this obscures the view and you can’t see properly if a bur is missing or damaged. Nowadays, high temperature-resistant, silicone holders with clear lids are available, meaning burs can be seen and identified easily and be replaced in the same order. This ensures kits remain intact and ready for use and offers a cost-effective, durable solution to the metal alternative during decontamination. Working with a tried-and-tested silicone base that not only resists surface deterioration, but also features a tapered orifice to bind every diameter of bur throughout the decontamination process, ensures burs won’t dislodge, allowing easy insertion and removal and, most importantly, effective decontamination of all burs.
To find out how you can start to eliminate the costs and frustration of lost burs in your practice, click here and we’ll be in touch with our recommended solutions.
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